


I suppose they think that we're in love

by butterscotchlatte



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Fluff, I would like to humbly put forth that vil has body dysmorphic disorder, M/M, Romance, like I know probably everyone is thinking that but jsyk that's how I've written him here!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:21:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29941653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterscotchlatte/pseuds/butterscotchlatte
Summary: Rook was every bit as strange as Vil had fortunately known to anticipate; rambling a vague explanation as to why he had to request his pasta without garlic, interjecting discussions at random to point out things he'd somehow noticed on the opposite end of the room, never once removing those gloves.
Relationships: Rook Hunt/Vil Schoenheit
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	I suppose they think that we're in love

**Author's Note:**

> So this is actually a sequel to [this short fic! ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29487711/chapters/72888873/)Of course I would recommend reading that first if you want a bit of context, but it's not required at all to make this story make sense. It's just plotless fluff about rookvil's first date lol, please enjoy!
> 
> Title comes from Don't Look Down by the Divine Comedy

"Please forgive my forwardness,  _monsieur_ , but you're even more radiant in person than in your photographs!" 

These were the very first words out of  _Le chasseur_ 's \- Rook's - mouth when he greeted his date, and they were forward indeed. Vil let out a surprised little laugh at the unconventional introduction, equal parts flattered and amused.

"And you're even more fervent than in your messages," he noted in turn, taking in Rook's clear enthusiasm. He had the nervous energy of a man who had recently finished his sixth consecutive cup of coffee, clearly excited to finally be in Vil's presence in a way that was charmingly earnest.

"Well, I can hardly be blamed for that!" he cried, holding out an arm which Vil took without hesitation.  
"You have seen yourself in a mirror before,  _non_?"  
Vil chuckled again, pleasantly surprised by how comfortable he felt at Rook's side as they began to walk together. They had chatted amicably for a few days before this point, and he found his fears that they may not get along face to face dissipating almost instantly.

"No, actually." he teased, and Rook gasped softly in mock astonishment.  
"In that case, you must let  _me_ be your mirror from now on. I do have excellent eye sight, so ask me how you look any time and I'll tell you the truth."  
"Is that so? How do I look now?" Vil smiled immediately, mind bypassing how odd a proposition it was, completely swept up in Rook's eccentricity already.

Rook had been leading them the short distance to their dinner reservation, but stopped moving abruptly at Vil's question to study his face with great care. Vil took the opportunity to take his first thorough look at Rook's own appearance, and happily discovered it to be more or less identical to the one he'd become familiar with online. Up close, he was able to pick out a light dusting of freckles across his cheeks. His blond hair was smooth and straight, and he was dressed in a classic, elegant suit. Vil swept his eyes over its glossy black tailoring, noting with interest that it looked  _very_ expensive.

" _Sans défaut._ " Rook concluded after a moment, and began walking once again without another word. Vil idly wondered if the phrase meant something positive as he fell back into step with his date, holding tightly to his arm and resolving to surreptitiously ask Mira as soon as he had a moment.  
  


***  
  


Dinner passed by easily in an endless flow of comfortable, vibrant conversation. Rook was every bit as strange as Vil had fortunately known to anticipate; rambling a vague explanation as to why he had to request his pasta without garlic, interjecting discussions at random to point out things he'd somehow noticed on the opposite end of the room, never once removing those gloves. Vil couldn't recall the last time he'd laughed so much, or so _loud_ , or without thinking to automatically check his mirror afterwards for loose strands of hair or lipstick on his teeth. This may have been due in part to Rook reassuringly praising his appearance at a rate of perhaps once every two minutes - Vil actually started keeping count at one point, but had long since lost track by dessert. 

The meal was delicious and the restaurant itself nothing short of stunning, with each table in the sprawling dining room decorated with a floral centrepiece and lit aglow by an old fashioned candle. The final bill was naturally exorbitant to match, and Vil wasn't at all surprised to be rather firmly forbidden from paying any part of it; Rook was clearly the type to insist on chivalry. Vil put up a perfunctory struggle - he more than had the means to pay for himself, after all - but quietly found the gesture more refreshing than anything else.

The sky had transitioned from pale pink to deep black by the time the two left the restaurant, city lights glowing in every direction and obscuring all but a few bright stars above them. The air had cooled considerably and Rook did not wait to be asked before draping his suit jacket across Vil's shoulders. Vil shot him a grateful smile; given his own outfit was mostly backless and not at all weather appropriate there was no sense in denying the assistance.

They hadn't discussed what plans if any had been put in place to follow dinner, but Vil found to his own surprise that he didn't want to go home. Happily, Rook seemed to have the same idea as he suggested they go for a walk without any particular destination in mind. Usually Vil might have questioned such idleness, especially at night. The way he saw it, if one had enough time on their hands to meander through the streets it would be better put to use getting enough sleep to keep their metabolism in check and have their skin looking its best the next morning.  
Nothing about the evening so far, of course, had been in line with any of Vil's ' _usually_ 's, and in that moment he likely would have gone along with just about anything Rook suggested.  
  


***  
  


The pair wandered unhurriedly through the more scenic areas of city streets, Vil's hand back to resting comfortably on Rook's arm all the while. When they reached a crowded harbour foreshore it occurred to Vil that while he wasn't far from home, really, he felt barely familiar with their current surroundings. He'd walked these paths countless times, but was so used to doing so in a rush, a latte in one hand and his phone in the other, taking one of Adela's near constant calls, yet another meeting set up for him before he could reach the one she'd arranged the day prior. Never before had he taken any notice of the golden string lights draping the trees along the promenade. It was a beautiful place.

All at once, the pleasant chatter they'd been sharing ceased as Rook spontaneously brought them to a standstill before a kind of water feature. Vil recalled the inconvenient months during which the surrounding area had been cordoned off to build the silly thing, but hadn't had a chance to really look at it properly upon completion. He could see now that it was a long stretch of shallow water, two or three inches deep, intersected with paths of small stepping stones and illuminated from beneath with bright aqua coloured lights. Thin jets of water rose in a series of elegant arcs along the far side, and Vil had to admit it had all turned out rather lovely.

"Doesn't this look like fun?" Rook suddenly chirped, and Vil wasn't quite sure what he was referring to. Was it a wishing well, perhaps? A quick scan of the water didn't reveal any coins. Maybe, then, Rook meant for them to try crossing the tiny stepping stones instead of simply walking around. Vil was not at all convinced of that idea, but before he could remind him that _his_ shoes were far more precarious than Rook's own, the true nature of his date's plan made itself known quite suddenly. Without warning or awaiting approval, Rook pulled off his shoes and socks and hopped directly into the water with a splash.  
" _Oh la la_ , somehow I didn't expect it to be so cold!" he exclaimed with a chuckle, and ignoring the disbelief written across Vil's face, held out a hand expectantly.  
"Well?"

Vil couldn't do anything but laugh; he may have strayed a few small steps from his comfort zone that night, but Rook must have been truly mad if he thought he was about to discard a thousand dollar pair of heels on a boardwalk and jump into a fountain like a child. Rook, to his credit, must have anticipated this unwillingness after all, because a second later he swept Vil into his arms, heels and all.

"Rook!" Vil yelped, voice leaving him as little more than an undignified squeak, now being carried as though he were a newlywed bride and still laughing despite the annoyance he _should_ have been feeling. He placed his hands on Rook's shoulders to steady himself, and gasped when the borrowed blazer he still wore slipped off into the water below.  
"I'll have it dry cleaned," Rook quickly reassured him with a carefree smile, and suddenly spun them both in a quick, graceful circle, the silk of Vil's gown trailing prettily after them in the breeze.

It shouldn't have been so amusing, shouldn't have been so much  _fun_ , but something about the total pointlessness of the whole affair had Vil in utter hysterics. He felt close to delirious with joy as Rook simply swished through the glittering water, turning this way and that, holding Vil so securely against his chest, all of it for absolutely no reason whatsoever. 

People were staring, probably wondering if they'd seen Vil in an advertisement, or how drunk he must have been to be laughing like that, or simply squinting in curiosity at what they took to be an exceptionally tall woman. For once, he couldn't bring himself to care about any of it.

Vil wasn't sure how much time passed as they made complete fools of themselves, but he was sad to lose the feeling of Rook's hands suspending him above the water when he was finally set back on solid ground. 

"You have such a beautiful smile," Rook said softly once their shared laughter had faded enough for them to catch their breaths. Free of dramatic epithets or smatterings of a foreign language, it was far from the first compliment of the evening but quite possibly the most straightforward. Vil was a little taken aback; of all the things he'd been told about his appearance, that had never been one of them.  
He didn't, he supposed, smile very often.

While his constant praise might have sounded disingenuous on the lips of another, there was something about Rook's words that reassured him. It occurred to Vil that a person inclined toward insincerity frankly wouldn't be acting as Rook had on a first date; it was easy to see that he was nothing if not unapologetically himself. Vil sometimes felt as though his whole life revolved around lies and artifice. Each day brought a photographer's practiced words of encouragement, the expressions he forced for sponsored Magicam posts, a new image of his own airbrushed face, absolutely alien as it stared back at him. He was almost embarrassed by how enchanted he felt, but he realised that simply bearing witness to Rook's authenticity had brought him a great deal of comfort.

A quiet, private,  _foolish_ part of him, the part that had grown up obsessing over fairytales in which happy marriages followed single chance meetings, wondered if this was what love felt like.  


When the hour grew so late that Vil was reluctantly forced to consider his sleep schedule, Rook walked him all the way to his front door.  
"Will I see you again, _monsieur_?" He eventually asked with a playfully confident wink, and Vil knew he didn't even need to give an answer.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos make my daaayyyyy and pls feel free to chat to me on my [dingus twitter account](https://twitter.com/maple_Iatte/)


End file.
